Found these two bugs mating when I was hiking today. They were hiding between lime stones and red cedar mulch. - Melanolestes picipes - BugGuide.Net

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Cimicomorpha » Assassin Bugs (Reduviidae) » Corsairs (Peiratinae) » Melanolestes » Black Corsair (Melanolestes picipes)

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Copyright © 2017 Michelle

Found these two bugs mating when I was hiking today. They were hiding between lime stones and red cedar mulch. - Melanolestes picipes -

Cedar Park , Williamson County, Texas, USA
March 19, 2017
Size: 1/2

Are they kissing bugs? Thank you so much for the ID!

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Contributed by Michelle on 19 March, 2017 - 10:43pm

not kissing; fornicating, rather

Moved from ID Request.

… v belov, 19 March, 2017 - 11:01pm

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What a relief! Thank you so

What a relief! Thank you so much for the ID!

… Michelle, 19 March, 2017 - 11:04pm

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well, in my experience...

...the kissing bugs are the most tame, well-behaved, cooperative, and agreeable members of this family

tonight i saw one at my porch lights (Traitoma sanguisuga, i suppose --the commonest of the three spp. that live around the house), my first one this year; on the other hand, plenty of Melanolestes

you have to exercise caution handling the latter, but kissing bugs will never bite when handled, and they are much easier to catch

… v belov, 19 March, 2017 - 11:19pm

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Thank you so much for the tip

Thank you so much for the tips! I had a very "painful" experience with the assassin bug in my backyard before...😰I will keep my eyes out for the Kissing bug, I love hiking with my dog and she is the one I really worry about the kissing bug's bite.

… Michelle, 19 March, 2017 - 11:27pm

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my thriving population of the kissers seems to depend entirely on the geckos, and the bugs hardly ever venture over 3' away from the bottom plank of the 2nd floor siding where the geckos rest and procreate

… v belov, 20 March, 2017 - 12:08am

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